Disc Golf Rule Nazi Stories

[Agricolae]

The worst is getting called out for infractions, thinking you know the rules, but finding out that you that you don't. That'll really mess with your head. Don't let it happen.

Get a rule book, read it, carry it. Once you are knowledgeable on the rules of play, you'll have a lot more ammunition, and will not get called out (as much). If someone calls you on a BS, local, made-up rule, just hand them the book and ask them to show it to you.

The tree example above was a mis-played lie; it's fairly easy to find out how to deal with that with a book in hand. With the thorn bush, you either have to climb in (with no penalty other than lost flesh and blood) or take an optional re-throw with a one-throw penalty. Now, if you could have found a rattlesnake, black widow, rabid squirrel, or other dangerous animal in the thorn bush, you'd have a case for free relief along the line of play.

 

[filobedo]

Thankfully I have only had to deal with only a couple of rules Nazis over the years. The most memorable were when a guy tried to stroke me for dropping my mini when walking from a basket to the next teepad and everyone on the card thought he was joking. The most recent was a couple of years ago at the HOF or US Masters at the IDGC when a guy talked the card into refusing to give me relief when I had an unsafe stance on #17 on the Headrick course even though we showed him the rulebook. The guy was really pissed when I made the putt from down by the stream and almost fell backwards into the creek. I heard later that the same guy does things like this constantly to work people.

 

[sloppydisc]

Bikinjack and Mando always make me drink beer while playing. And I couldn't find that in the rule book anywhere.

 

[mullethead326]

In two of my last three tournaments, I've had at least one issue with another player regarding a rules infraction. Unfortunately, the culture in disc golf is that if you call someone on something, you automatically become the bad guy. Here are my examples, how I handled them, and how I should have handled them:

1. Another player in my group threw close to an OB fence, and (by tournament rule) was allowed a 2-meter relief. He took quite a while to set up his shot, and was insisting on taking a runup, despite it being obstructed by the fence--he practiced running up 3 or 4 times, which seemed unusual and made me notice his footwork. He threw, but his plant foot was to the side of, and in front of his mini--no part was directly behind. I quickly but politely asked him to leave his mini, as he had foot-faulted. This player had already pulled his foot back, and insisted that he had not been in front of his lie. He asked the rest of the group to make a ruling (which is not required for the first stance violation, and wouldn't cost him a stroke), and none said they had seen anything. I insisted that he had been in front of his lie, he disagreed, and basically we ended up moving on for speed of play. I felt that I had handled the situation professionally, and the other player wasn't willing to listen.

2. In a C-tier tournament recently, the first card I was on featured a player who was treating the tournament as just a "dinky little C-tier", and continually talked loudly or shuffled his feet while I and other players were trying to drive or putt. I was okay with it on the first couple holes, figuring he'd settle down or someone else would say something. I had to step back several times throughout the course of the round, and gave several pointed looks at him. About 12 holes in, he threw a disc into the schule, and we had a one-sided, grousing discussion about starting a clock for a lost disc. I pretty much just shrugged off his complaining and let him be angry--basically tried to play my whole interaction with him coolly. I think I should have set the tone early in the round by asking once unofficially for him to be quiet while I and other players were throwing, and then issuing a courtesy warning (and then stroking him for any subsequent violations).

Late in the round, he told me that I had bad focus and wouldn't succeed at larger tournaments with spectators. I've got nothing to say to that.

 

[Harrishabitat]

The worst is getting called out for infractions, thinking you know the rules, but finding out that you that you don't. That'll really mess with your head. Don't let it happen.

Get a rule book, read it, carry it. Once you are knowledgeable on the rules of play, you'll have a lot more ammunition, and will not get called out (as much). If someone calls you on a BS, local, made-up rule, just hand them the book and ask them to show it to you.

The tree example above was a mis-played lie; it's fairly easy to find out how to deal with that with a book in hand. With the thorn bush, you either have to climb in (with no penalty other than lost flesh and blood) or take an optional re-throw with a one-throw penalty. Now, if you could have found a rattlesnake, black widow, rabid squirrel, or other dangerous animal in the thorn bush, you'd have a case for free relief along the line of play.

My point in the misplayed lie situation was everyone was throwing their opinions around and to speed up play I suggested the provisional. In any situation where their is a rule disagreement, I always suggest the provisional and let the TD make the decision...

 

[skizzle34]

I have had one real experience with people who were rediculous when it came to rules. In the 3rd tournament I had ever played I was playing am3 (rec.) and there was a skinny annoying kid that swore he knew every single rule in the book. Literally once every 2 or 3 holes he would be telling us how "he could have stroked us for that". It got to the point where the the other two guys in the group completely stopped talking and it made it very uncomfortable.

 

[JC17393]

My point in the misplayed lie situation was everyone was throwing their opinions around and to speed up play I suggested the provisional. In any situation where their is a rule disagreement, I always suggest the provisional and let the TD make the decision...

You were right to suggest a provisional given that there was disagreement. But I think the suggestion that pulling out the rule book and looking for the applicable rule is a good one too.

When people were throwing their opinions around, the rule book at least should do the job of eliminating most of those opinions one way or another. If there's still disagreement, then the provisional route should be taken.

As a TD, the first question I would ask a group with a situation like yours is whether or not the rule book was consulted. If for no other reason than to try to instill the idea of looking the rule up as a first instinct kind of reaction, particularly with a lower division where players are likely still learning the rules.

 

[Nemmers]

Maybe it's because I'm new to the game or maybe it's because, while I enjoy the competition tournaments provide, I just don't take them that seriously. If someone foot-faults or doesn't place their relief from casual water perfectly on the line, I'm not going to complain or call them on it. I'm not good enough to be such a stickler. But if people call me on an infraction I'll thank them for pointing it out because I didn't know it was wrong. Mea culpa...live and learn. Gonna make me a better, more knowledgeable player in the long run.

The rules are pretty common sense for the most part, but some of them you have to learn and I'm doing my best to get every one down pat. However, in my limited experience it's the common sense ones people seem to have the most trouble with...and those are the ones that really grind my gears.

Last month I was playing in a C-Tier event in South Carolina. My first PDGA sanctioned tournament. Sucked first round and found myself on the bottom card for the second. No big deal....helped me relax and shake off the first-tourney jitters. I settled down and started playing well.

Cardmate 1 was extremely cool, playing in his first tournament ever. The other guy (Cardmate 2) had played in events before and was amiable enough, but talked a lot about what I "should do" in certain situations and what discs I'm "supposed to throw" for certain shots. He was trying to be helpful, but it wasn't necessary. Anyways, 2 started playing "way worse" than he "normally does" and seemed to be trying to pull one over on us. Example: On the seventh hole he griplocks one over the street OB. 1 does the same. 1 is further back so I go help him retrieve his disc since he's a little bit older. On the way I grab 2's disc and toss it to him. He thanks me and says something to the effect that it "sucks throwing three from 200 feet out."

As I'm walking to help 1 get his disc, I see 2 throw his 3rd into the woods. As I'm coming up from the hill, I see him bang his 4th into a tree five-feet in front of his lie. 1 takes his third and misses, I shoot my second and miss. 1 misses his shot, I bang in my par and 1 drops his bogey. 2 drops his in the basket and we walk to the next hole.

I've got the card and I ask for scores. 1 says bogey and 2 says bogey. I look at 2 and ask, "You sure?" He's all, "Wait, no...I got a double." as he's lighting up a bowl. I say, "Bro, I watched you bang your fourth into the tree after you threw your third in the woods."

"Yeah, but I made the putt."

"No, you didn't," I say. "You missed and dropped in."

"No, I made that one."

"From where?"

"From the tree."

Incredulous at his audacity I ask, "So what shot did you drop in from under the basket just now?"

"Oh....you're right. I got a six."

Later, on the VERY NEXT HOLE.....

1 and I have both sunk our bogeys and 2 is steadily running every 20-footer since his missed bogey putt, resulting in more 20-footers that he apparently can't make. Finally, shooting for double-par he bangs it off the basket and it rolls about 12 feet from the pin. He walks up to his disc and picks it up saying, "Glad that's over!"

I'm floored. "You're not going to shoot that?"

"Oh....you want me to?" he asks.

"Pretty much. You know this is a tournament, right? There's no 'gimmes'."

He sighs, says "Fine," and makes the putt.

**********

The guy was an okay dude, but those weren't the only holes 1 and I had issues with him. I didn't want to be a d!ck, but what he was doing was just ignorant. I finally started counting his strokes for him, which is an unnecessary additional distraction to have during a tournament. Your mileage may vary, but I don't think being honest and putting out are unreasonable expectations.

 

[alpha_dave]

We prefer the term "Rule Zealots"

Thx.

 

[SteezeOG]

I'm kind of glad I only really play local tournaments up to now. I know others in the state are basically the same too. People here are pretty familiar with the rules but are willing to be informative before they become jerks about it. I've had a couple people on my card in the GBO who were a little less forgiving but not to me. I keep a current year's rulebook in my tournament bag at all times just in case and am fairly aware of the rules. They're mostly just helpful to everyone and always come to a ruling. I've only had to talk to a TD or Emac as a group after a round just to see if we were right about it. Always friendly though.

In my first or second tournament I played rec and I watched two other guys in rec but in a different group argue about the rules for fifteen minutes holding us up. It was funny cause neither one had a clue about the rules. They were arguing whether you had to take a penalty stroke after an OB throw. They were in a heated battle for third to last place.

 

[knettles]

i think using the word nazi other than referring to nazi's is probably not a good idea or even PC...

My being a grammar nazi forces me to point out that "nazi's" shouldn't have an apostrophe. There's also the obvious issue of not capitalizing "i". Wait... crap... sorry.

 

[natedg1976]

i think using the word nazi other than referring to nazi's is probably not a good idea or even PC...

Umm have you been around the threads much. PC is not something thought of very often here. I think political correctness is the problem with the world as we know it. It is turning everyone into a bunch of oversensitve whiny babies.

 

[Nemmers]

I think political correctness is the problem with the world as we know it. It is turning everyone into a bunch of oversensitve whiny babies.

Indeed.

Well played, sir. Well played. :clap:

 

[Kodachrome]

godwin's law applied before the discussion even begins. mind=blown. it's like dividing by 0.

 

[Harrishabitat]

godwin's law applied before the discussion even begins. mind=blown. it's like dividing by 0.

I would disagree with you on this being a godwin's law application. Usually godwin's law has to do with specifically calling someone a nazi. In this situation I was using the term "rule nazi" as more of a euphemism... but I digress

 

[Nemmers]

I would disagree with you on this being a godwin's law application. Usually godwin's law has to do with specifically calling someone a nazi. In this situation I was using the term "rule nazi" as more of a euphemism... but I digress

Incorrect. Usage was proper.

 

[Kodachrome]

Haha, seriously though I agree about those who try to call you for not being perfectly centered behind your mini or for straddle putts close to the basket where you may technically have one foot in front of the back of your lie so long as it is equidistant or at least not closer to the basket than the rear of your mini. It has helped me out of some awkward putts that were close to the basket, just odd angles...but people don't realize it isn't a foot fault.

 

[WhiteyBear]

Don't like the rules, then don't play sanctioned tournaments. Period.

 

[scarpfish]

The rules are there to make it fair for everybody. I might also point out that they are written down. Familiarizing yourself with them would be to your benefit, so you understand the difference between a rules [insert pejorative term here], who is trying to pull gamesmanship B.S. and someone who is just following the rules, you know, to make it fair for everybody.

And I know even the latter group perhaps sucks the fun out of it for some disc golfers. Believe me, this game is very accommodating if you don't care for rules. That accommodation shouldn't occur in a sanctioned tournament though.

 

[joecoin]

Incorrect. Usage was proper.

Is it possible to be a "Godwin's Law Nazi"?